Ballet Shoes
by SpiderMonkeyLove23
Summary: She's been dancing for as long as she can remember but never did Bella Swan anticipate being accepted into the most prestigious dancing academy in Washington. Now she must balance her blooming career while muddling through her teenage years. AH OOC.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay for those reading Age of Innocence, I am still updating that! I'm going to do my best to balance both! I may be scarce with updating for the next week or so because I have finals coming up and a ton of work to do. I've had this written for a while now and I really wanted to get it up! I just love ballet and can't wait to do more with this story. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I leave that responsibility to Mrs. Meyer herself!**

Across the stage I danced, spinning around my closest friends and fellow dancers. The audience watched keenly as the music reached as a crescendo and the dancing intensified. Being the principle dancer in the show, the other dancers moved aside and also watched as I preformed quick *chaines and landed in the center as the music came to a sudden halt and the curtain slowly began to fall.

The audience continued clapping as the dancers began to place themselves for the bow. I hid behind the curtain, awaiting my turn to be back in center stage. The constant applause only fueled the adrenaline that coursed through my veins and when it came time for me to take my bow, I couldn't have been more ready.

I met my partner in the middle happily, taking his hand tightly as we looked to the audiences and took our numerous final bows. It seemed like a good portion of Phoenix was in the audience, just going by the roaring applause.

"You did amazing," he said to me happily as the curtain finally closed and the applause faded. Chaos immediately ensued as I was hugged and congratulated by my fellow dancers. I put a large smile on my face and slowly made my way back to the small vanity table.

"Bella!" my best friend Angela grinned, hurrying to my side. "Bella, you were amazing!"

"Thank you," I told her. "So were you, Angela!"

"Oh," she said, looking at something behind her. "I gotta go! I'll see you tomorrow!"

She was off before I could say goodbye. I shrugged and ran my hands over my face in relief. Not that I hadn't been looking forward to the show but I was relieved that it was over. I would still practice as hard as I normally did but the immense pressure I normally felt before going on stage would be nonexistent if only for a few months.

"My darling Bella," my mother suddenly said, appearing behind me. She took my face in her hands before placing a small kiss on my forehead. "You did wonderful, sweetheart. Were so proud."

` At her side stood the man I had been training under for months and an older woman I'd never seen. Her pepper hair was pulled back tightly from her aged face. She was dressed primly and properly and a pants suit and dark stiletto heels.

"Mr. Gerandy," I nodded at my instructor, looking to the woman at his side. "I hope you enjoyed everything."

"Oh I did," he said enthusiastically. "Bella, this is Mrs. Stanley. She is the director of the International Ballet Academy in Seattle Washington."

"Pleasure to meet you," I said to her, holding out my hand. Her thin lips formed a small smile and she quickly shook my hand. "What can I do for you?"

"Bella, I'm sure you have heard of my academy?"

"Of course!" I exclaimed, nodding quickly. "I've always wanted to go there, ever since I was little kid. I think _any _dancer has heard of it. They'd be crazy not to."

She laughed at my exclamation. "Well then I'm glad. For the past month or so, I have had Mr. Gerandy watch you and train you to reach your full potential. If what he and your mother have told me are correct, you've been trained very hard."

"Oh yes," I chuckled. Mr. Gerandy had been on my back for the past two months. My leaps were never high enough or my feet weren't as turned out as they could have been. He would always find something in me to critique. "Very much so."

"Well, good," she smiled. "The reason I'm here is that on behalf of the IBA, we'd like to offer you a full scholarship for our 2010-2011 year."

"_What?" _I cried, dropping the pins that I'd pulled from my hair. They scattered all along the floor, blending in with the deep oak flooring. I began flailing my hands, unsure of whether to pick up or leave the pins on the floor. "Ser-seriously?"

I had no idea what I wanted to do.

"Yes," she laughed loudly. "Bella, you have incredible talent and its time that more than Phoenix Arizona see it. Classes begin next week. You will live in a dormitory along with the rest of your peers. All the details will be given on your first day at a school wide orientation. We hope to see you there."

"Th-thank you," I stuttered. She gave one last nod before she and Mr. Gerandy walked away. "Mom, was she serious?"

"She was serious Bella," she chuckled. "And you're going. No ifs ands or buts."

I wiped away the tears that had filled my eyes and hugged my mother tightly.

Somehow someway, I'd been accepted into the most prestigious dance schools in the country. Someday, my name would be known outside of Phoenix. People would come from all over to witness my dancing.

Things were all falling into place. 

The rest of the week passed by in a blur. My packing spree had began the minute I returned home from the recital, so by the time my flight rolled around, I was fully prepared and ready to depart.

"Mom, I'll be fine," I said to my teary mother as we came to airport security. I hadn't cried but her eyes were rimmed red with heavy tears. "You have Phil."

Phil was my stepfather who I loved dearly. With him being on a minor league baseball team, he seemed to be in the air more than he was at home. Sometimes it took a toll on my mother but he always came home eventually.

"I know, I know," she sniffled. "I just love you so much. Call me every night okay?"

"I will," I promised her, "But I should probably go if I want to catch my flight. I love you mom and I'll call you when I land."

"Okay," she hugged me tightly. "Seventeen years old and already leaving home."

"Goodbye mom," I laughed. I knew I would eventually start crying if I didn't separate myself from her soon. "I love you."

I waved one last time before making my way through security. Bubbling with excitement, I finished the check and hurried to my gate. They had yet to begin boarding but I couldn't have been more eager to settle into my seat and fly away.

Eventually, they began boarding and not long later, the plane was in the air. Knowing I would just yelp out in excitement, I slipped the ear buds into my ears to avoid having to speak to anybody but the stewardess when my drink order was taken.

Once the flight landed, I was first off, darting through the airport to bag check. I took no time mingling or studying the Seattle airport. I knew that time needed not to be wasted and doing those things would be just that.

Pulling out the pamphlets I'd been sent in the days following the news of my admittance to the school, I read over them carefully and hailed a cab.

"I'm going to 34 Main street," I told him as I climbed into the car. He nodded and sped away from the airport. From what I could see as we drove, Seattle was quite an amazing city, aside from the constant cloud cover or never-ending drizzle. My face was glued to the cool window pane until we pulled up to the building. "Thank you."

I handed him the money, grabbed my bags and made my way inside.

"Bella," Mrs. Stanley smiled, meeting me inside. She pulled me into a tight hug and the overpowering scent of Lilac filled my nose. "I'm so glad you've finally arrived. If you'll join me on a tour of the facility, I can show you to your room."

"Okay," I agreed, the grin never leaving my face.

She guided me through the building, showing me the numerous studios and offices. At the moment, they were shy of any students but she assured me that in no time, they would be filled with students of all ages.

The hallways were filled with posters and pictures of the schools many productions and dancers. Trophy cases stood proudly all around me and my excitement for the semester to begin was becoming harder to contain.

"Now, we have a separate building for performances and you'll see that later on but now, you must get situated in your room. I'm not sure if your roommate has arrived yet," she wrapped her arm around my shoulder. "Follow me, darling."

I followed her through halls and up the grand staircase. It mirrored something one might see in the classic 1800's plantation home. Made of complete marble, the staircase made the grand hall, contrasting perfectly against the beige walls.

"Here you are," she said once we arrived at the door. I smiled lightly before throwing open the door to reveal my small dorm room. "Look's like your roommate has arrived."

She was right. The walls had been decorated with photos and posters of different dancers. A pair of Pointe shoes sat on the small twin bed that had already been dressed in a thick, white down comforter. A shag rug was already placed between the two beds and half of the closet had been completely filled.

"Hello!" A small girl suddenly squealed, appearing from the bathroom. With a broad grin, she wrapped me into a tight hug. "You must be Bella. I'm Alice."

"I'll let you to get to know each other," Mrs. Stanley said before leaving the room.

"Hi," I laughed lightly as I was released from the hug. Standing next to her, I felt extremely self conscious. Her dark, raven hair had been cropped and stuck out from her face in a wildly beautiful manner and her ebony eyes sparkled.

"Oh I'm just so glad that I finally have a decent roommate," she cried happily, pulling me into another hug. "You are just going to love it here and with me as your guide, you'll never be lost. My brothers and I have been going here for a while so if you have any questions, just ask me, alright?"

I nodded.

"Good!" she practically jumped. "Now, let me go introduce you to everybody!"

Before I could open my mouth to protest, she grabbed my hand and whisked me from the room.

**So for those of you that have seen Center Stage, you've probably realized these stories are pretty similar! Well, I absolutely love that movie and though the story and movie may be similar, this story will have a lot of differences!**


	2. Introductions

**Sorry for the title change but I just didn't like the other one that I previously had! Seemed to wordy!**

With her hand on my wrist, she pulled me down the hallway until we came to a door that was slightly open. A colorful dry erase board had already been placed on the door and the names _Jess _and _Rose _were scribbled on its surface.

"Rosalie?" Alice asked, leading me into the bedroom. It radiated class, with a color scheme of white and beige. It was as if an interior designer had rolled through the small dorm room.

"Nope, just me," an unfamiliar girl smiled, coming out of the bathroom. I watched as Alice's face fell and her hand fall at her side. "Hi, Alice."

"Jess," she said coldly. "Where's Rosalie?"

As the girl plopped down on her bed, I couldn't help but feel like I'd seen her features somewhere before. I knew for a fact that she and I had never crossed paths but her face was just so familiar.

"She and Emmett snuck off somewhere," she shrugged, picking at her nails. She suddenly looked up at me with a sly grin. "You must be Bella."

She stood up and pulled me into a sudden hug.

"Yeah," I nodded, smiling. "You're Jess?"

"Jessica Stanley, yes," she nodded. "My grandmother said a lot about you. She says you were one of Phoenix's most beautiful dancers."

Then it hit me. The last name and features had been so familiar because she was the granddaughter of Mrs. Stanley that had granted me the privilege of attending this academy. It seemed now that I owed something to this girl.

"Well I wouldn't say most beautiful," I said modestly. I opened my mouth to say more but Alice pulled me from the room, slamming the door on her way out. "She seemed nice."

"No," she suddenly said, stopping me in the hallway. "We don't like her. Rosalie hates her, I hate her. We all _hate _her. I don't usually hate people so that is a lot for me to say."

"Oh okay," I muttered. I didn't want to bother asking why because something told me she wouldn't give me an answer.

"Anyways," she squeaked, the smile reappearing on her face. "Rosalie is my best friend and along with Jess, my brothers, Jasper and I, she's been here since we learned to read. The school here requires us to get a formal education so about once or twice every week, they bring in teachers so we can all learn stuff we'll actually need in the future."

I nodded and walked at Alice's side as she began explaining how the school was run, who to talk, who not to talk to and everything else I would need to know. I didn't think it would end until we reached another floor and we stopped at another door.

"This is my brother's room," she smiled as she knocked lightly. Seconds later, a tall, angelic boy opened the door. "Hi, Edward."

She didn't wait for a salutation before pushing past him to fall on his bed. Something kept me from tearing my gaze from this beautiful boy. His hair was a beautiful mix of red and copper and his eyes blazed ivy. From his strong jaw structure to his dancers physique, I had trouble believing that I hadn't died and gone to heaven.

"Bella, this is my brother Edward," Alice said happily. "Edward, this is Bella. She's a newbie this semester so I have taken her under my wing."

She beamed proudly as if I was a small child she was now given the responsibility of raising. Edward smiled and shook my hand in a cordial manner.

"Pleasure to meet you," he said smoothly, his voice like satin under my fingers. "I hope you find this academy to your liking. I know that every summer, this is what my sister looks forward to when the summer is over."

"You enjoy it too," Alice teased. "Don't lie."

"Now did I say I didn't enjoy it?" he laughed, turning towards Alice. Laughing sweetly, she shook her head and threw her head back on his pillow. "Alright then. I was just unpacking some bags and personalizing the space a bit. As you can see, my roommate and brother has already been here."

Half of the room was already a mess, clothes strewn all about and random things all over the floor and bed. It was strange to see such a mess next to the impeccable organization of Edward's half.

"That's Emmett," Alice shrugged, standing up. "Come on, Bella. Lets go try to find Emmett and Rosalie."

"The lovebirds," Edward rolled his eyes. "I swear all he talked about on the way here was how excited he was about seeing _Rosalie."_

"Its true," Alice raised her eyebrows and nodded. "Anyways, come on Bells."

_Bells. _The only one that had ever called me that was my father, who I rarely saw. In the occasion that I would actually visit the sleepy town of Forks Washington, I would hear that nickname constantly.

"It was nice to meet you," Edward said as Alice prepared to leave the room. Once again, I lost myself in his gaze when he shook my hand. "_Bella."_

"You too," I grinned.

I couldn't say another word before Alice pulled me from the bedroom. Even when I first saw her, she didn't strike me as one that liked long goodbyes, and apparently, I was correct with my assumption.

"My brother totally has the hots for you," she exclaimed as we walked down the hallway. "He hasn't looked at _anybody _like that since… well its been a while. He needs somebody and I think you would be perfect for him. Ooh, can I buy your first date outfit?" "Alice!" I laughed. "I just met him! I am not planning on dating your brother! He seems nice but I didn't come here to find a boyfriend. I want to focus on my dancing."

"That's what they all say," she rolled her eyes and walked ahead, stopping when she crossed the path of another, new face. "Jasper!"

The boy dropped his bags and pulled Alice into his arms. His arms were wrapped around her tightly and the hug seemed to last longer than any friendly hug normally did. Once she'd been let go, she looked back at me and motioned for me to come forward. Shyly, I did just that.

"Jasper, this is Bella," she pulled me in close. "Bella, this is my _friend _Jasper."

"_Friend," _I chuckled under my breath. "Hello, Jasper."

"Ma'am," he greeted me with a light, southern accent. "Pleasure to meet you."

After my introduction with Jasper-Alice's _friend-_we walked back downstairs to find Emmett and Rosalie. On the way, Alice pointed out everything that held some sort of meaning to her, which just happened to be almost everything.

I also learned that her parents were extremely wealthy and were grand beneficiaries of the school. All of the Cullen children had started at the academy the day they each turned five and they'd been studying dance here ever since. They'd never attended a real, educational school, but somehow, they were all exceptionally bright.

"There you two are!" Alice suddenly said as a couple approached us. All around us, more students were beginning to arrive and I couldn't ignore some of the looks I was getting as they passed. "We've been looking everywhere."

"We've been _catching up_," Emmett smirked, lacing his fingers with Rosalie's. She was undeniably beautiful and I found myself feeling unworthy of her presence. "Right, Rose?"

"Yes," she giggled. "Alice, who is this?"

"This is Bella," she said proudly, pushing me forward. Rosalie pulled me into a tight hug and the scent of freesias that emitted from her was a bit overpowering. "She's new. Bella, this is Rosalie and my brother Emmett."

"Good to meet you," Emmett smiled, pulling me against his chest. My breathing was cutoff by his strong hold and I found myself gasping for air when I was finally let go. "Sorry about that."

"Edward likes her," Alice giggled.

"Alice!" I gasped in embarrassment. I could feel the blush creeping across my cheeks. "He does not. I just met him. Edward doesn't like me."

Rosalie cocked an eye brow and began walking. Alice nodded her head and skipped ahead and I knew that was my cue to follow.

For the rest of the day, I unpacked and became acquainted with all those Alice had introduced me to. I learned that Emmett and Rosalie were more of a friends with benefits type deal, though neither of them could stand to be with anybody else. Alice also kept on about Jasper and I once again had the feeling there was more than friendship between the two of them, though she refused to admit it. But, she refused to even speak about Jess and she immediately changed the subject when I attempted asking.

"You are just going to have the best time here," Alice said later that night as we sat in our room. She'd helped me with my unpacking and we were now expecting Rosalie to pop in for a visit. "It rarely happens that anybody leaves unhappy."

There was a quiet knock at the door.

"That's Rosalie," Alice told me, setting the pillow aside to open the door. She was expecting Rosalie, but it turned out to be none other than Edward.

Was my heart really racing at just the sight of him?

"Oh," she said in a disappointed tone. "Hi, Edward."

"Don't sound so happy," he laughed, stepping inside. "I was just wondering if you warned Bella about Jessica's tendancies?"

"Of course I have!" Alice cried, reaching up to whisper something in Edward's ear. The blush on his cheeks was undeniable and his smile was adorable as she lightly shook his head. "No, Alice."

She shrugged. "Is that all you needed?"

"Can I not visit my sister?"

"No."

"Then I shall be going," he said, nodding his head at me. "Good to see you both."

I waved before he quickly left the room. Rosalie slipped in before Alice could completely shut the door.

"What was that about?" Rosalie asked, referring to Edward.

"Edward likes Bella," Alice smiled, falling on the bed.

"He does not!" I sighed, tossing a pillow at Alice.

Even though it seemed impossible, maybe he _did _like me? We'd only been in each others presence for a few minutes, but I'd never been looked at in such a way. Could somebody so radiant feel for me that way?

Of course not.


	3. International House of Stanley's

"Bella," Alice whispered the next morning. The sunlight streamed through the thin curtains Alice had placed over the windows and the overhead light seemed pretty useless. "Bella, get up. We have class."

My eyes shot open immediately in excitement and I quickly popped out of the bed. Before we'd gone to sleep, I'd laid out everything I would need so it took me no time to fully dress in my leotard, tights and dance pants.

"Mrs. Stanley hates it when were late," Alice said, grabbing her bag.

"Another Mrs. Stanley?" I rolled my eyes. The Stanley's seemed to be everywhere.

"This is Jess' mom. They're everywhere, aren't they? Everywhere you look, there is another little Stanley running around. Jess hates that her mom is a teacher and her grandmother is the director. She even has a little sister who dances here."

"My goodness," I breathed. "International house of Stanley's"

"I like that," Alice laughed as we left the room. Even in the morning, Alice still managed to look beautiful. I could only imagine how long she'd actually been awake since she'd woken me up. "International house of Stanley's."

On our way to the studio, we were joined by Rosalie another girl who went by the name of Jane. She was no bigger than Alice and she appeared no older than thirteen. Her hair was a deep brown and her eyes matched. Was there such thing as an unattractive dancer at this academy?

"You're late," Mrs. Stanley said as the four of us entered the classroom. There was no denying the fact that it was indeed Jess's mother. Everything down to the light freckles on the bridge of her nose was the same as Jess. "I was just explaining how I run my class to the new students. Please take your spots with the rest of the students."

"Bella is a new student," Alice told her, pushing me forward.

"Wonderful," Mrs. Stanley said, smiling slightly. "Bella, my class starts at nine AM _sharp_. No earlier. No later. I expect you to be here 15 minutes prior to class time in order to warm up. We will end our class promptly at 11 o clock. I will let you off with a warning, since you are new to the academy. As for you three," she looked over Rosalie, Jane and Alice. "You have been going here long enough to know how we do things around here and because you are late, you will stay after class where I will give you a reasonable punishment."

They sighed loudly and I wanted to fall into the crowd. Something told me that it was my fault that weren't exactly punctual.

"Now," she clapped. "Let us go to the bar."

Along with the rest of the crowd, I made my way over to the ballet barre and somehow, I ended up at the end of the line behind Jess. It was hard to miss the smug grin she threw back at me.

"We will starts with pliés," she told us. "Demi pliééééééé, Demi plié, grand plié, port de bras to the front and port de bras to the back. I thought we could start out with something simple for our first class."

The music began and I began doing as I was told. I let the music take over as I practiced this simple barre routine.

"Pull in your hips," she told me as I went down for the port de bras. "Really support your upper body. Also work on that turn out."

I bit my lip nervously and adjusted the position of my feet. I'd never been critiqued on my turnout or my upper body. Mr. Gerandy had always said that my turnout was my biggest strength.

So who was right?

"Very nice, Jane," she smiled. However, the smile faded when she looked at Jess. "Jessica, the turnout needs a good amount of work. Relax your fingers and adjust your arms. We aren't scarecrows."

Harsh.

"Now to the center where we will work on our fouette turns and as you all know, a fouette means to whip. Now I know a lot of you have struggled with these in the past, which shouldn't happen. These are simple turns that any principle dancer should know."

We all shuffled to the center of the floor.

"Jane, will you demonstrate for us a beautiful fouette turn?"

Jane nodded and the crowd parted. She inhaled deeply and lifted her head before showing us one of the most beautiful turns I'd seen in any one so small.

"Now again but do it slower so we can see just how to do it," Mrs. Stanley explained, "Now girls. What she'll do is she will plié then extend her leg forward, then opens to second. She will then go up into relevé and pull her leg into a turned out passé. These are the three basic positions of a fouette turn."

We all continued watching as she showed us the basic positions of the turn then performed a set. Jane continued turning until Mrs. Stanley stopped her and made Jess repeat the turns before everyone.

"Now repeat the turn," Mrs. Stanley snapped. "Turn. Turn. Turn."

Jess turned until she couldn't continue. There was a loud pop before Jess fell to the floor, yelping in pain.

"Get up, Jess," Mrs. Stanley ordered. "We don't have time for this."

"I think she sprained her ankle," a girl said.

"She's fine."

"No I think its-," the girl continued.

"Get out of my studio," Mrs. Stanley ordered the girl. I could see the tears forming in the girl's eyes as she grabbed her bag and ran from the room "I will not have backtalk. Jessica, get up."

"I can't, mother!"

She grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to her feet. It was apparent that Jessica obviously had done something to her as the swelling had already begun and her it had taken on a bluish tint.

There was a moment of silence before Mrs. Stanley sighed loudly.

"Class ends early today," she told us. "You may go. To those that were late, you have no punishment. Jess, you stay here."

In silence, the crowd dispersed and we all collected our belongings. I don't think any of us wanted to speak, in fear that we would be yelled at by Mrs. Stanley.

"Well that was interesting," Rosalie finally said as we stopped at the door of another studio. Inside, all of the males of the academy were in the middle of their routines. "Look at them."

"He's amazing," I sighed, looking at Edward as he leapt high into the air. "They're all really good."

"Who is that?" Jane asked, pointing to the boy in the middle. "I've never seen him before."

"That's Jacob," Alice answered. "He lives on the reservation in Forks. I think this is his first year here."

"He's so tall," I remarked. He stood taller than even Emmett, rising high above almost every other boy in the crowd. "Kind of sticks out."

"Like a sore thumb," Rosalie chortled, walking away. "I think they might still be serving breakfast. Let's go check."

We all followed Rosalie to the large cafeteria where the breakfast crowd was winding down. It was mostly staff still at the tables, eating and preparing for the day.

"You have to get here pretty early to eat breakfast," Alice explained as we placed the food on our trays. I noticed Jane picked up nothing but an apple, but I chose not to say anything. "And since were always in class so early, we don't really get the chance to eat breakfast a lot."

"Can we just discuss what just happened? I mean, since when does Mrs. Stanley let us out of class early? In all the years we've been in her class, that hasn't happened."

We took our seats at the table and began discussing what had happened in the classroom. I was told that Jess was always taught that way and her mother placed the most pressure on her in class. The girl that had been sent out of class was Lauren and also Jess' best friend.

"I have to get to class so I'll talk to you later," Jane said quickly, taking a bite out of her apple, grabbing her bag and dashing out of the cafeteria.

"Jane is only thirteen," Rosalie said, answering my unspoken question. "But Mrs. Stanley saw how good she was and she put her in the AP classes with the older kids. She still takes classes with girls her own age but she also takes classes with us."

We took a couple more bites of our food and left the cafeteria. We had almost two hours remaining before our next class, since class with Mrs. Stanley had been cut short. We'd decided on watching more of the boys practice. It seemed to be a favorite activity of Alice and Jess.

"Excuse me," a small girl suddenly said, pushing past me in the hallway. She scoffed loudly and kept on walking.

"Who was that?" I sneered.

"Mikayla Stanley," Rosalie answered. "Jess's little sister and certified future bitch."

"Future bitch?" I laughed lightly. "International house of Stanley's."

"International house of Stanley's," Alice repeated.


End file.
